Law enforcement personnel normally carry only one set of metal handcuffs of the prior-art type, thus limiting further apprehensions, once the set of handcuffs has been used. In mass arrest situations, there are, thus, an insufficient number of restraining devices to be used in making arrests. On such a situation, it is necessary to identify the arresting officer in order to complete the arrest of the detainee. In addition, not all handcuffs can be opened with the same key; thus, the arresting officer is required to accompany the detainee to the place of detainment.
Prior art handcuffs are designed to be used on the wrists of the detainee. Accordingly, there is no protection to prevent the arresting officer from being kicked by the detainee as the officer normally carries no restraints for that purpose. The conventional type of metal handcuffs may be used as weapons against the arresting officer, and are, thus, extremely dangerous when being removed. Accordingly, it has been found convenient to substitute disposable restraints made of plastic or the like which must be cut off.
However, disposable restraints of the types available in the prior art have been found to have various drawbacks. For example, many of these disposable types are of such a design that their tips are easily inserted in the wrong direction by mistake, so that they are readily removable by the detainee with very little effort. Other disposable types may require a high insertion force or inadequate tip portion, making them difficult for the arresting officer to use. Furthermore, in others of the disposable types, the bore opening of the locking head is easily accessible to the detainee to be picked and opened. Others are of such materials and design that they may not be readily marked for identification. Other types have a narrow width and some have serrations on the underside which comes in contact with the skin of the detainee, making them inhuman to the detainee.